A homeowner filming an underground bee nest in their native garden captured an unexpected bonus when a hummingbird swooped in for a drink from a nearby fountain.
What happened?
A gardener in Phoenix, Arizona, posted a video of the encounter on Reddit’s r/NativePlantGardening forum. They said they were “filming ground bee activity” in their native garden when an unplanned visitor entered the shot.
(Click here to watch the video if it doesn’t appear.)
The start of the clip shows bees fluttering in and out of their underground nest before panning up to show a hummingbird drinking from a small repurposed cat fountain.
The footage is an important reminder that, when carefully constructed, yards can offer meaningful habitats for insects and wildlife.
Why does it matter?
Replacing all or even part of a traditional lawn with native plants can save homeowners time and money by reducing mowing, trimming, fertilizer use, and irrigation.
Native lawns also require less watering compared to traditional grass lawns. In dry regions, it can also lower water bills — a major benefit as cities across the Southwest continue to grapple with heat and water stress.
There are plenty of low-maintenance lawn alternatives, too, depending on where you live. One option is clover, which also doesn’t need mowing and is pollinator-friendly.
Even a partial lawn replacement can deliver those benefits while making a yard more resilient and more welcoming to pollinators.
What are people saying?
In the comment sections, people were quick to point out the ingenuity of using the usually indoor cat fountain outside.
“I never thought of using a cat dish like that,” one user wrote.
“I’m trying this,” another said.
“Now I know what to do with my cat fountains that my cats won’t use!” another mentioned.
Another wrote, “Oh my god — this is brilliant. I don’t know why I never thought of this.”
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